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中

Mandarin · pinyin zhōng#

within; among; in
middle; center
while (doing sth); during
(dialect) OK; all right

Mandarin · pinyin zhòng#

to hit (a target)
to be struck by (a bullet, illness etc)
to win (a prize or lottery)

Mandarin · pinyin Zhōng#

(bound form) China; Chinese
surname Zhong

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中: zhōng · central; center, middle; in the midst of; hit (target); attain

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · zhong1

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1character link26same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 18 senses · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zung1 · zung3

Cantonese word readings for 中. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

middle; center
medium; intermediary
within; among; in
while; in the process of; during; in the middle of; -ing
to be fit for
heart; innermost being
intermediary
(dialectal) all right; OK
(Cantonese) — short for 中國／中国 (Zhōngguó) or short for 中華／中华 (Zhōnghuá); China; Chinese; Sino-
(especially school subject) short for 中文 (Zhōngwén, “Chinese (language)”)
(abbreviation, alt-of) short for 中國內地／中国内地 (Zhōngguó nèidì, “mainland China”)
short for 中學／中学 (zhōngxué, “middle school; secondary school”) — Used in the abbreviation of the name of a secondary school.
short for 中學／中学 (zhōngxué, “middle school; secondary school”) — Used with a number to indicate the level of secondary education.
1st tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "the center" (𝌆)
a surname

character

to hit the mark; to be correct; to be successful
to be hit by; to suffer; to be affected by
to win (a prize, a lottery)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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